Last week I was at a conference and overheard a group of hiring managers complaining about their Gen Y employees.
“These kids are driving me nuts,” was essentially what they all said. “They want a raise 5 minutes after they get here, they don’t stay one minute after 5 o’clock, they spend all day on Facebook…what is wrong with these people?”
They aren’t alone. As Gen Y joins the workforce, those of us over 35 are finding them a bit of a…challenge.
It’s important to keep in mind that it’s not entirely their fault: Over-enthusiastic, helicopter parents mean they’re used to praise; almost a decade of unchecked growth means that until recently, they haven’t had much experience with bad economies; and changing demographics means that they’re entering the workforce in a talent crisis, so there aren’t 100 waiting behind them in line for every job (like there was for anyone who joined the workforce in, say, 1991).
In many way this is a group more to be pitied than scorned: The best and brightest are just starting to realize what they’re up against, and in many ways they’re even more naive than we (the over-35s) were when we entered the workforce.
Here are a few ways to make your life easier – and get more out of your Millennials:
Let them do your multi-tasking
They like multi-tasking, and they’re good at it. What you think is badly-controlled ADD could actually be an asset the next time you have to do something with a lot of moving parts, like a big event. So hand that kind of thing off to them, while you write that 50-page report.
Do a little listening (even if you’re secretly rolling your eyes)
Gen Ys are used to being listened to (they got into the habit from parents who hung on their every word). So let them spend 15 minutes every week telling you about all the great ideas they have for the office, and maybe even let them implement that environmental program they think is such a hot topic. They’ll be happier – and you’ve only lost 15 minutes.
Put their social media savvy to good use
So they’re on Facebook all day, or Twittering during meetings. Don’t get mad – put them in charge of your social media program!
Let them fail
They’re not used to failure – this is a generation which got rewarded for kicking the ball, whether they scored a goal or not. If you let them fail, and show them that the sky doesn’t fall in when they do, you’ll end up with a better employee in the long run.
Give them challenges
One of the biggest complaints is that Gen Ys are too cocky – and cocksure – for their own good. Stop getting annoyed at this, and put it to work for you: If they want to put your whole presentation database online in a wiki-ordered system, let them do it – but tell them they have to present you with a project plan and how it will fit in with the rest of their tasks. You’ll end up with a better system – or a more humble employee.
Accept that they’ve got a point
Millennials think they should have a fun, interesting workplace – and you know what? They’re right. If you have to spend upwards of 50 hours a week somewhere, it should be fun and interesting (and productive, of course). Happy employees are more productive (and longer-lasting) employees. So maybe their idea for a team lunch every Friday isn’t such a bad idea.
See an excerpt of a speech by Bill Gates to high school students. Some hard nosed but realistic advice for a generation of kids where the balance between protection from the world and full exposure to the world has been warped…
Bill Gates’ Thoughts on “The Real World”
To anyone with kids of any age, here’s some advice. Bill Gates gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept sets them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1: Life is not fair – get used to it!
Rule 2: The world won’t care about your self esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping – they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you think you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try cleaning the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have eliminated winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is not real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to their jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.
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